Extract Practice: Game of Thrones

The director of, “Game of Thrones,” uses a variety of film techniques to establish an atmosphere of intrigue. When looking at the extract as a whole and examining the techniques the meaning becomes clear. The meaning of the extract is the shifting struggle for power and the tension this conflict creates. The power shifts between the three main characters in the given clip.

The extract begins with an aerial shot of a ship with red sails. The aerial shot of the ship develops the idea that the people on the ship have less power because it looks like they are being looked down on. In addition, the sails are red, and that color can represent power and passion. The symbolic color of the sails develops the theme of power because the audience can interpret that the people on the boat are passionate about gaining power. After the aerial shot, there is a two-shot of Stannis and Davos. The two of them aren’t standing directly next to each other; Stannis is standing in front of Davos. The position of the characters in the two-shot shows that Stannis has more power over Davos because usually leaders stand in the front. In the two-shot, the audience can also see that Stannis' outfit is tinted blue. The color blue can represent loyalty and intelligence. The color of the costume helps to reinforce that Stannis is more powerful than Davos because it shows that people are loyal to Stannis and that he is intelligent enough to have control over people. The colors in the scene are very muted, so Stannis wearing blue directs the focus of the audience to him. Towards the end of the scene, there is a zoom-out to reveal the Iron Bank and a statue. The effect of the zoom-out makes the people on the ship appear to be getting smaller, which makes it look like the power they do have isn’t as significant in the place they are entering. Furthermore, the statue is extremely large compared to the ship, which further develops the idea that the people on the ship do not have a lot of power and how the importance of their power is decreasing. During this scene, there is incidental music in the background, which helps to create a feeling of tension in the audience. The music is at its loudest when the ship is about to enter the Iron Bank which establishes the idea that an important event is about to take place.

               The second scene starts with Stannis and Davos having a conversation as they wait for the bankers. During the dialogue, Stannis states that they have been waiting since “mid-day.” In other words, they have been waiting for a long time. The dialogue shows that the bankers are more powerful than Stannis and Davos because the bankers don’t see their visitors as important and make them wait a long period of time before speaking with them. After the bankers enter, the camera shots keep changing from medium-shots, wide shots, and close-ups. The different camera positions help the audience see what is happening in the scene. For example, the different shots show that the bankers are sitting on higher and bigger chairs, than Stannis and Davos. The height of the chair helps to develop the meaning because it makes it look like the bankers are more powerful because they can look down at Stannis and Davos. The power later shifts to Davos when he stands up to talk highly about Stannis and the camera is at a slight low angle. The low angle creates the idea that Davos is looking down at the bankers. Throughout this scene, there are shot-reverse-shots and this editing makes the characters seem equal in power because it shows that the characters all have reason to been seen and they are all given chances to speak. Another type of editing in the scene is an action match where Davos is pointing at Stannis. In the first shot, Davos is starting to lift his arm to point and in the second shot, his arm is outstretched pointing at Stannis. The action helps to develop the theme of power because Davos shifts the power to Stannis by making him the focus. There is very little lighting in this scene; the only source of light comes from the windows. The windows shed light of Stannis, illuminating him in the dark room. The light looks like it is creating a spotlight on Stannis, showcasing him as Iron Bank’s only hope because he is the last “reliable leader”; therefore, the power shifts to him.

When the director was creating the extract, he had a vision. He wanted to showcase the theme of the shifting struggle for power and the tension it creates. He does this by having the power shift between the characters and in order to this he uses a variety of film techniques. The struggle for power is a complex situation because the person who holds power is constantly changing.